What you must be aware of for successful breastfeeding?

When a woman gets pregnant, it is at that very moment that her world changes. She is either in shock and awe or she feels ecstatic about her news, whichever way you must be feeling or have felt. The real feeling of overwhelm and excitement comes when you have your newborn in your arms.

- Parul Mudit Mishra

As a mom, you want the best for your little one, and most of the time, the biggest challenge you face during your postpartum period is breastfeeding.

We all know breastfeeding is natural and your best gift for your little one. You must have heard about the Golden Hour. Let's understand why that hour is so important.

Breast milk consists of the essential nutrients that an infant needs in the first six months of life. Timely initiation of breastfeeding guarantees that infants receive the colostrum, 'the first breast milk', which contains antibodies that protect the newborn against diseases. Breastfeeding within the first hour of life prevents newborn's death due to sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhea and hypothermia.

I, as a Lactation Counselor, would recommend the 3 Golden Hours, the first 3 hours, as evidently, it takes more than an hour for a baby to start with its breast crawl, latch and get the first few drops of colostrum.

The first thing you need to focus on and understand is your hospital's policy around breastfeeding and baby bonding.

To know if your hospital is baby-friendly or not, you can ask your hospital or healthcare provider the following:

Do they have a written Breastfeeding Policy?

Do they have a Breastfeeding Class or a Childbirth Education Class as a part of their program?

Do they have an in-house Lactation Consultant and if they allow one to visit?